Fabulicious!: Teresa's Italian Family Cookbook (23 page)

Make the sauce with Italian turkey sausage. Substitute ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for the mozzarella.

Crispy, Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Makes 12 drumsticks

Drumsticks are party-perfect and kid-friendly. And with this recipe, you can cook up a mountain of crisply coated poultry without pulling out a frying pan. The secret is to use crunchy breadcrumbs. I use plain (unseasoned) panko.

1 cup plain yogurt

½ cup milk (whole or skim)

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 ¼ cups panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)

1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

1 ½ teaspoons crumbled dried rosemary

12 skinless chicken drumsticks

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1.
Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly oil a large, rimmed baking sheet.

2.
In a shallow bowl, mix together the yogurt, milk, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, mix together the panko, grated cheese, oregano, and rosemary. Dip each drumstick in the yogurt mixture, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Add to the panko mixture and turn to coat. Place on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil.

3.
Bake for 20 minutes. Slip a metal spatula under each drumstick to keep the crust intact, and turn over. Bake until the meat is pulling away from the end of the drumstick, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve hot.

Giacinto’s Spicy Chicken Scarpariello

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This dish was invented by Italian immigrants who came to America without a lot of money. To save, they would eat meals together, each family bringing something to throw in the pot. They called it
scarpariello,
which means “shoemaker’s chicken.” No one really remembers why—maybe because it was “cobbled” together? Because even a shoemaker could afford to make it? What makes this dish unique is that it uses chicken and sausage together. What makes it a Gorga-Giudice recipe is all the spiciness!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound hot or sweet Italian pork sausage, with casings, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 to 3 hot red cherry peppers, seeded and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Chopped fresh Italian parsley, for garnish

Hot cooked orzo, for serving

1.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to paper towels to drain.

2.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Do not overcook the chicken because it will be heated again later. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

3.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the red peppers, onion, and hot peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the red peppers are barely tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil, stirring up the good scraps in the skillet with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth and vinegar. Return the sausage and chicken to the pan and sprinkle with the oregano, sage, and thyme. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often to marry the flavors, for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the chopped fresh parsley.

4.
Serve hot, with the orzo.

SKINNY VARIATION:

This is just as good with turkey sausage. And if you make it in a nonstick skillet, you can use just 1 teaspoon of oil for browning the sausage and chicken.

My dad with his parents in Sala Consilina, Italy.

Supersize Sausage & Spinach Calzone

Makes 4 servings

We make this all the time for our family, but truth be told, we usually make two of them!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

9 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed but not dried

Salt

Red pepper flakes

1 ball Pronto Presto Pizza Dough (
page 79
)

All-purpose flour, for rolling out the dough

4 ounces dry Italian sausage or hard salami, cut into ¼-inch dice

¼ cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

⅓ cup ricotta cheese

1.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly oil a large, rimmed baking sheet.

2.
Heat the oil and garlic together in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until the garlic is golden but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring often, until just wilted. Do not overcook. Drain in a wire sieve and press on the spinach with a wooden spoon to extract excess moisture. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Coarsely chop the entire mixture, then season with salt and red pepper flakes.

3.
Dust a work surface with flour. Roll, pat, and stretch the dough into a 14-inch round. If it seems stubborn and won’t roll, cover the dough with a dry kitchen towel, let it relax for a few minutes, then try again. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, letting the edges hang over the sides.

4.
Stir the chopped sausage into the spinach mixture. Sprinkle the bottom half of the dough with the grated cheese, leaving a 1-inch-wide border at the edge of the round. Spoon the spinach mixture over the grated cheese, then dot with the ricotta. Fold the top half of the dough over to meet the bottom half. Shape the calzone so it fits nicely on the baking sheet. Crimp the edges closed with a fork. Poke a few holes in the top of the calzone with the fork. Brush lightly with oil.

5.
Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Cut into 4 wedges and serve.

Tomato Pizza al Taglio

Makes 8 servings

Pizza
al taglio
means pizza by the slice—square slices cut from a pizza baked in a rectangular pan. Like most Italians, my family are big anchovy eaters (I’d eat them over ice cream—I’m not kidding). But if you like, feel free to substitute sausage or simply omit the anchovies.

5 ripe plum tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil